"There's been absolutely no unusual activity on Justin Hammer's end, whether in terms of personnel contacts or financial transactions. Blake, your suspicions were correct—this has nothing to do with Hammer."
"Good! I understand. It looks like we don't need to keep an eye on Justin Hammer anymore."
"The agents in France are fully mobilized. If they try to leave France, we'll know immediately. The enemy we're dealing with this time is very professional and ruthless. Be careful!"
"You too. Finish your mission quickly and come back. See you in New York!"
"See you in New York!"
Blake ended his call with Black Widow. The scale of the disturbance was so large that both he and Tony had speculated that Justin Hammer wasn't behind it, but Blake had still asked Black Widow to check. As expected, everything was normal on Hammer's side.
Who could it be?
Blake frowned deeply.
Just then, a knock on the door broke his thoughts. Blake got up to open it.
Tony walked in casually, pouring himself a large glass of water and downing it in one gulp. Only after exhaling did he finally speak.
"A cop woke up. He said there were five intruders—three white man, one woman and one black man. They were incredibly fast, with unbelievable strength. The cop fired four shots and didn't hit any of them."
"From his description, it sounds like they were facing someone like you! Five super soldiers, Blake. Do you remember what happened in Mexico? That guy with the metal arm? I suspect they're all part of the same group—a powerful hidden organization. They've got drug dealers, super soldiers, and maybe even a team of brilliant scientists."
When Tony first mentioned the five people, Blake already felt a sense of familiarity. Now, with the mention of Bucky, the image in Blake's mind became clear.
Five super soldiers, Hydra, that Siberian base.
They've activated the five super soldiers from Siberia but haven't sent Bucky. Could it be that Alexander Pierce isn't behind this?
Just like the name suggests, Hydra is an organization with many branches.
Alexander Pierce, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., was just one of its leaders.
Blake remembered that Baron Strucker, who used the Mind Stone to create Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, had been active in Europe for a long time. Could it be him?
Blake's mind was in a fog. Even with his current strength, he felt powerless in such a situation.
Even though watching the movies gave him insight into many plotlines, he had no idea where Hydra's hidden bases were.
Let alone how to find them.
...
Washington, World Security Council.
Alexander Pierce's office.
"Francis, that son of a b****! Who gave him permission to activate the Siberian base on his own? That was one of our trump cards! Damn fool! Now S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are swarming all over Europe—he's going to get us all killed. You better watch out too, Strucker!"
Alexander Pierce was unusually furious, completely unlike his usual calm and composed demeanor.
"Don't worry, my old friend. You're the head of the World Security Council. Most of the agents in S.H.I.E.L.D. are your people. What do I have to be afraid of?"
Baron Strucker's voice was incredibly calm.
In fact, it made sense. With most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents under their control, and with no Avengers-like organization yet in place to challenge them, Hydra had no real enemies at this point.
"You think Nick Fury is an idiot? I know him—he's not so easy to fool. I have no idea what kind of trump card he might still be holding. Last time, we agreed that Project Insight was our top priority. If we get exposed now, the entire world will come after us."
"If it comes to that, I'll just sit back and quietly serve as chairman, waiting for the next opportunity. Do you understand? We've waited so many years for this chance to realize our vision, and we can't afford to blow it now!"
Pierce's desk-pounding and logic seemed to sway Baron Strucker, whose tone became more serious and less dismissive.
"I understand how serious this is. The arc reactor, to be honest, is very tempting—I was tempted myself—but now isn't the time. I'll order all my men to go underground and avoid S.H.I.E.L.D., and I'll do everything I can to find that fool Francis and end this mess to ensure our safety."
Strucker's assurance calmed Alexander Pierce. He took a deep breath and said, "If he's exposed, I'll eliminate him immediately. For the safety of all of us, for the glory of Hydra. Hail Hydra!"
"Hail Hydra!"
...
New York, at a golf course.
Justin Hammer stood on the green, angrily swinging his club.
The fact that Ivan Vanko had slipped through his fingers was incredibly frustrating.
He had already greased the palms of officials at both the police station and the prison, spending a considerable amount of favors and money.
The plan was to extract Vanko as soon as he was incarcerated, only for it all to end up as a complete waste.
"Relax, Justin. Golf is a gentleman's game. You can't just imagine Tony Stark's head every time you swing. Sometimes, using too much force won't get you anywhere."
A middle-aged man approached Justin Hammer slowly.
"Senator Stern, I recall that just a week ago, you were gritting your teeth, demanding I speed up the development of the suits. How come you're so calm now?"
Justin Hammer was in such a foul mood that he didn't even bother being polite to the senator, with whom he had collaborated many times.
"Well, I've been in the Senate long enough to learn a few things. The world now thrives on cooperation and mutual benefit. Take you and me, for example. The suit project is no different. Anger won't solve anything. Let me introduce you to a friend of mine—Mr. Francis Aubrey."
Senator Stern stepped aside, revealing the man standing behind him.
He was a middle-aged man, around fifty, impeccably groomed with his hair perfectly styled.
"Francis is one of the purest-blooded aristocrats in Europe. He wields unimaginable influence across Europe—stocks, political elections, large-scale energy projects. Whatever you need, he can handle it. That includes extracting a Siberian genius from Monaco."
Senator Stern grinned, revealing a set of yellowed teeth.
*******************************************
You can get access to early chapters on patr*on.
If you like my work and you want to support me then you can become my patron on patre*n.
My patr*on account is S_Pandey_0170
Europeans, especially those in high society, are particular about the purity of their bloodlines.
Justin Hammer knew that many of the old European aristocrats preferred to hide away in their ancient castles, adhering to the oldest of traditions. They looked down upon the new nobility with impure bloodlines, even going so far as to despise the Queen of England. Many modern works of literature and films about vampires are based on these relics of the past.
These were the very people who controlled a vast amount of Europe's resources. However, Justin Hammer didn't care about any of that—he was an American. Americans value practicality and reality. To hell with bloodlines. But Ivan Vanko, on the other hand, was someone Justin Hammer could not afford to lose.
The miniature arc reactor was his only chance to rise above Tony Stark.
Setting down his golf club, Justin Hammer gave a slight bow and, with perfect manners, greeted this relic from Europe.
"You know, our project has been going on for quite some time now. We have the best weapons, sensors, and systems in the world. The only thing missing is that little glowing light in Stark's chest."
Senator Stern tapped his finger on his own chest as he made a joke that only he seemed to find funny.
Then, pulling Justin Hammer aside, he continued, "Francis is very interested in the suits. Of course, he has no ambitions for the Department of Defense contracts—he just wants a few finished suits to arm his bodyguards. But there are plenty of opportunities for further collaboration, like renewable energy. If you're interested, you know these aristocrats don't like to stand in the spotlight. It's not very elegant."
Justin Hammer was, of course, interested. The potential applications of the miniature arc reactor were vast, and focusing solely on military applications would be a waste of such a groundbreaking invention.
So, with Senator Stern's mediation, the two men launched into a heated discussion.
Future collaborations would take place gradually, but for now, Francis's people would bring Ivan Vanko into Hammer Industries. Of course, the arc reactor technology wouldn't be shared. Francis's people would oversee the operation to ensure that Justin Hammer didn't try to steal the reactor technology from Vanko.
After this deal, Francis would invest in an American renewable energy company, with Justin Hammer as the face of the venture, creating the world's largest renewable energy company.
These were offers Hammer couldn't refuse. After their discussion, he hurried off to prepare for Ivan Vanko's arrival.
Watching Hammer rush off, Francis turned to Senator Stern and said, "You've found yourself a good pawn. Ambitious, but not too bright. Having him out in front is a smart move. I'll rely on you to take care of me here."
Stern laughed heartily. "Pierce is scouring the globe looking for you. If he knew you were hiding right under his nose, he'd probably jump out of his office window in rage!"
Francis laughed as well. "We can't afford for anything to happen to him now. We still need him to push forward Project Insight—putting a gun to the head of everyone on the planet. Dr. Zola really is a genius. A plan that allows us to control the lives of everyone on Earth should be in the hands of people like us, not someone as conservative as Pierce, don't you think?"
Francis's words made Stern grin widely. The temptation of controlling the entire world led him to eagerly collaborate with Francis and betray Alexander Pierce.
What Stern didn't notice was the look in Francis's eyes as he laughed behind him—a look that saw Stern as nothing more than a fool.
...
Meanwhile, Hydra had already sent Ivan Vanko to Justin Hammer's company.
Blake and Tony were still frantically searching around Monaco.
Ever since Ivan Vanko appeared—more accurately, since the second person capable of creating a miniature arc reactor showed up—the pressure on Tony from the U.S. government had been increasing.
Initially, Tony refused to hand over the technology, but he claimed that no one else could make an arc reactor for at least a few more years. This statement had somewhat eased the government and military's stance. After all, as long as the technology was in Tony Stark's hands, it was essentially in America's control. Although the government hadn't acquired it, at least Iron Man was an American, right?
But now, a second person had appeared. Worse, this person was rescued by unknown forces. The government wasn't as easy to placate anymore.
If this technology were to fall into Russian hands, it would mean that the U.S. would be under threat from the Russians for years to come.
(Note: This isn't meant to reflect any real political views—it's just that in the movie world, the Russians are often portrayed as the villains!)
Tony Stark was receiving several calls daily from Pepper Potts and Rhodey, passing on the mounting pressure from various sources.
"Tony, this can't keep going like this. What are you going to do?" Blake asked, slouched on the hotel sofa.
The past few days had been spent relentlessly searching for clues and tracking down Ivan Vanko. Blake had already sent Jane, Thor, and Darcy back home. Now, it was just him and Tony left in Monaco.
"I wasn't sure before, but now I have a new idea!" Tony said, just after hanging up with Rhodey.
"Rhodey, he's a military man, and I trust him. If I give him a suit of armor, it would ease the government's pressure on me for the time being and ensure the suit doesn't fall into the wrong hands. The key point is that the Illuminati needs new members. Just the two of us aren't enough. Right now, we even have to rely on S.H.I.E.L.D. for intel!"
"That's a good idea! Instead of us running around aimlessly here, we'd have more resources if we went back together!" Blake said, sitting up from the sofa.
"Exactly! That's what I was thinking too. Those people who took Ivan Vanko can't keep him hidden forever. Their real target is the suits. I've already instructed J.A.R.V.I.S. to monitor the market for all high-value metals, including those needed to make the arc reactor and armor."
"Unless those guys own their own metal mines and have fully developed extraction and smelting technology, the moment they start manufacturing the armor, I'll find them!" Tony said confidently.
*******************************************
You can get access to early chapters on patr*on.
If you like my work and you want to support me then you can become my patron on patre*n.
My patr*on account is S_Pandey_0170
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